1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch apparatus for the horn device of a vehicle, which is installed in the airbag provided in the steering wheel of the vehicle and configured in such a way that a plate inside the airbag makes contact with a switching plate connected to the horn device when a driver applies pressure to the airbag, thereby sounding a horn.
2. Description of Related Art
An airbag is mounted in the steering wheel of a vehicle. A switch for a horn device is provided in the back side of the airbag and inside the steering wheel. The horn device is installed in the front of the hood of the vehicle. When a driver applies pressure to the airbag inside the vehicle, the switch contact is made to the horn device, so that a horn signal is generated.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional steering wheel. FIG. 2 is a view showing a conventional switch apparatus for horn device. The steering wheel includes a handle 10 configured to allow a driver to adjust the steering angle, and an airbag unit 30 equipped in the center of the handle. An airbag housing is provided inside the airbag unit 30, and an airbag cushion and an inflator are installed inside the airbag housing.
The inflator 31 is connected with inflator wires 34 through a connector unit 35, the inflator wires allowing an explosion signal to be applied to the inflator so that the airbag is deployed. The inflator 31 is provided with a switch apparatus for operating the horn device of a vehicle on the back side thereof. When a driver applies pressure to the airbag unit 30 of the steering wheel, a switch provided on the back side of the inflator 31 is operated at the same time that the airbag is pressed, thereby sounding a horn.
The switch for horn device includes two plates 32 and 33, and the two plates 32 and 33 are coupled to and face each other while maintaining repulsive force. Each of the plates 32 and 33 is electrically connected to the horn apparatus and performs switching depending on whether contact is made. One plate 32 is coupled to the back side of the inflator 31, and the other plate 33 is installed using an elastic spring and spaced apart at a predetermined interval. A horn wire 36, connected to the horn apparatus, is connected to the plate 32, coupled to the back side of the inflator, using a connector unit 37.
However, according to the conventional switch for horn device, a separate horn wire is provided so as to realize the switching of the horn apparatus, and a connector unit should be used to connect the horn wire, so that costs for components are increased and the number of manufacturing steps is increased.
Further, pressure is applied to a horn wire between the plate of the back side of an inflator and a steering wheel, so that problems occur in that the horn wire is broken and that a connector unit becomes separated. During the assembly, a phenomenon in which an airbag unit comes off the steering wheel occurs due to the horn wire, and the assembly is difficult.
Those facts that have been described as the related art are provided only to promote easy understanding of the background of the present invention, and it should not be interpreted that they correspond to the related art well known to those skilled in the art.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.